The last time Real Madrid faced off against Borussia Dortmund it was the German side who prevailed against the heavily favored Spanish stars. The win, which gave Dortmund three points, catapulted the football club to the very top of the Group D standings.

Competing in the midst of one of the most vocal and relentless crowds in Europe, Jurgen Klopp and his Dortmund squad managed to take control of the Group of Death by outperforming Cristiano Ronaldo and his Real Madrid team. Although the Germans clearly didn't win the battle of possession, they did rack up twice as many shots on the net and continually posed a serious threat to the Madrid defense.

Up until this point, Dortmund has been the best club overall in the Champions League and another victory over the fan favorite Real Madrid would serve to further cement their status as legitimate title contenders.

In order to reignite their team against a tough Dortmund squad, Real Madrid must drastically improve in many areas of play. While Raphael Varane had made just his first Champions League start of the season, it was actually Pepe who underperformed in the game.  The star appeared to be consistently out of position and lost control of the ball on a couple different occasions. 

Lukasz Piszczek and Marco Reus' play made Jose Mourinho's decision to put Michael Essien at the left back position look like a severe mistake as well.  However, Alvaro Marbeloa will be returning for the second leg, which should bring give Madridistas confidence, but if he does get the start, he'll more than likely be utilized on the left flank, his natural side.

CLICK HERE to watch Real Madrid go up against Borussia Dortmund via free live stream. Coverage of the UEFA Champions League game is set to begin at 20:45 CET on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Tags: Champions League internatonal soccer